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of past experience and all because art authority would have been narrowly centered. An impartial representational plan of administration was urged for this region which would have represented equitably all the major Iowa groups and would have insured a comprehensive program. This plan was rejected and correspondence on the subject was turned over, through breach of confidence, to the opposition. This introduced a confusion and reaction which has stultified the entire Federal Art Project for this State. The protested regional director finally declined the appointment, but politics came into play and the Iowa art project only recently limped into existence, tardy, restricted, inadequate, and administered by local politicians unfamiliar with art. It has not been very fruitful up to the present time and leaves unemployed some of the most authentic talent of this State. Other questions in respect to the welfare of the artist both economically and professionally have been tackled by the Cooperative Mural Painters group; and throughout the State sympathizing artists are beginning to realize the significance of the organization and to desire admission. It is possible that the further history of this organization may be qualified by such constructive steps as are taken by this Congress in furthering the cultural vitality of the nation and the well-being of the artist. THE PRESENT IMPASSE IN SCULPTURE Waylande Gregory It becomes evident, upon analysis, that the basic cause of the present impasse in sculpture is due to the economic disorder. Social and political discrimination are also important factors which prevent many from practising the expensive art of sculpture and limit the potential market. As a result, individuals and groups of artists have been forced out of the field of creative activity and have been turned into ghost sculptors. This gives cause for alarm! The life of the ghost sculptor, like that of the ghost writer, is a life of hard work plus small financial reward and dissatisfaction. This must and can be corrected. An example of a case where a cooperative group of sculptors could have successfully produced a monumental work is that of pediment figures of the Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia. Instead, the terra cotta group of the pediment was designed by one artist. He made a scale model and received 50,000 dollars for his work. The rest of the work was done by commercial houses which paid coolie wages to their workers. The model was mechanically enlarged, molds were made and from these the terra cotta figures were reproduced. This procedure did not achieve its aim, {92} in as much as the completed work looks like what it is--fabricated decoration. The finest works in terra cotta have always been directly executed. If the work had been done by sculptors working in collaboration with a directing sculptor, a ceramic engineer and the architect, a directly executed work would have been accomplished which would be true to the character of the medium. Large civic sculpture commissions are repeatedly received by a very limited number of sculptors, who employ ghost sculptors to do most of the actual work for low wages. This constitutes a monopoly and presents evidence of discrimination and partially which should arouse not only the disinherited and discarded sculptors but also the allied artists to defend the rights of sculptors and demand the correction of these practices which are leading to the impasse in sculpture. Congress has within the last few years appropriated over a million dollars for sculptures work on only four buildings. On the Supreme Court Building alone 120,000 dollars was spent on the interior sculptures, and 230,000 dollars on the exterior, making a total of 325,000 dollars. Most of this money was received by a few select individuals. It is interesting to compare these sums with paltry amounts set aside for sculptural project on the PWA. However, the method of dividing the projects equally among the artists as done by the PWA is certainly a step in the direction of the greatest benefit to the sculptors as a whole. But this is only a start, and it is up to the artists as a collective body to unite with all artists in demanding a permanent and adequate federal art project on a broader basis. Sculptors must come to a full realization of the fast moving forces in our social life and take a definite stand in shaping its destiny. The sculptor is not vital unless he is observant and interprets life. Sculptors must become socially articulate and speak firmly and validly. {93}